What is white, blue, green and makes our roadways safer? The sticker that community members can earn through the City of Fort Collins' Bicycle Friendly Driver program.

In December 2015 the city’s FC Bikes program launched an educational effort designed to educate motor vehicle drivers about how to share the road safely with people on bicycles. Participants take a 90-minute course and receive a Bicycle Friendly Driver certificate and a sticker for their vehicle if they successfully complete the course exam.

Data show that 50 percent of crashes between bicycles and motor vehicles in Fort Collins are the result of mistakes that the motor vehicle drivers made. FC Bikes historically focused primarily on educating bicyclists, but the BFDP aims to fill the gap in bicycling education by training both motorists and bicyclists on how to avoid the most common crashes in Fort Collins.

The repackaging of bicycle safety information from bicyclist-only classes to classes that target both motorists and bicyclists has proven successful with more than 3,500 people in Northern Colorado receiving the education since 2015.

Additionally, the program has expanded internationally. FC Bikes created a toolkit to help communities develop their own Bicycle Friendly Driver programs. Since the toolkit was debuted in March 2017 at the National Bike Summit in Washington D.C., it has been downloaded more than 220 times by people in 44 states and three countries. In addition, the League of American Bicyclists is officially adopting the curriculum as part of its Smart Cycling program offerings.

This innovative program is not only putting Fort Collins on the map for its approach, it’s also helping reduce crashes. Data collected by the city’s Traffic Operations department indicate that crashes are generally decreasing with 22 percent fewer crashes reported in 2017 than in 2012.

The safety numbers are important and we often hear from community members that the curriculum makes a difference. A Transfort bus operator who participated in the training commented, “I bet you save a life everyday with this program.”

Additionally, we hear countless stories about people feeling more aware and less frustrated because they better understand why and how bicyclists and motorists share our roadways.

FC Bikes offers BFDP classes through businesses and organizations and to the public. Visit fcgov.com/bicyclefriendlydriver or call 970-221-6987 for more information.

Laurie Kadrich is the Fort Collins director of planning, transportation and development. She can be reached at 970-221-6601 or lkadrich@fcgov.com.

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Cyclists cruise through the intersection of West Oak Street and Jackson Avenue on Tuesday, May 1, 2018, in Fort Collins, Colo.(Photo11: Timothy Hurst/The Coloradoan)